Hymn
Penitence and hope
Dear Saviour, when my thoughts recall
The wonders of thy grace,
Low at thy feet asham'd I fall,
And hide this wretched face.
Shall love like thine be thus repaid?
Ah vile, ungrateful heart!
By earth's low cares detain'd, betray'd,
From Jesus to depar —
From Jesus, who alone can give
True pleasure, peace and rest:
When absent from my Lord, I live
Unsatisfy'd, unblest.
But he, for his own mercy's sake,
My wandering soul restores:
He bids the mourning heart partake
The pardon it implores.
O while I breathe to thee, my Lord,
The penitential sigh,
Confirm the kind, forgiving word,
With pity in thine eye!
Then shall the mourner at thy feet
Rejoice to seek thy face,
And grateful own how kind, how sweet
Thy condescending grace!
Penitence and hope — Text from A Collection of Evangelical Hymns, 1793. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/penitence-and-hope
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Penitence and hope?
The words of Penitence and hope were written by Anne Steele; the version here was published in 1793. The library holds 47 more hymns by Anne Steele, including A Dying Savior and My God, my Father, blissful name.
Is Penitence and hope public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from A Collection of Evangelical Hymns, published in 1793. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Penitence and hope?
Penitence and hope is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, O for a Thousand Tongues, The Savior's Invitation and Come, Ye That Know and Fear the Lord.